Per nordenfelt



(No'Model.)

P. NORDBNFELT. APPARATUS FOR GONTROLLING THB REGOIL AND RUNNING OUT 0FGUNS.

No. 436,375. Patented Sept. 16, 1890*.

5,4 i Kb gq ITIlb b .y

W NN NN NEN s NA N s q A .fm l FN /A\\\\\\\| klll l %i FM 1 %;N\\\\\\\|gil V /5 l.\\\\\\sf% I, I mm gli E 2 pq i l pq l!! fr.' I E f XM l Zw IE I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PER NORDENFELT, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO 'THE MAXIM-NORDENFELT GUNS AND AMMUNITION COMPANY, LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE.

` APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE RECOIL AND RUNNING OUT 0T GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 436,375, datedSeptember 16, 1890.

Application nea May 21,1890.

Serial No. 352,634. (No model.)

'To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PER NORDENEELT, engineer, a subject of the King ofSweden, residing lat 32 Victoria Street, in the city of Westminster,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Controlling the Recoil and Running Out pi' Guns, of which thefollowing is a specifica- In recoil apparatus in which some of the forceof the recoil is stored up by the compression of a spring or otherwise,and is at the end of the recoil allowed to at once run out the gun, therecoil is usually controlled by a hydraulic cylinder thefluid in whichhas to pass through a small passage or passages in the side of thecylinder from one side of the piston to the other during the recoil, andpower is at the same time stored bythe compression of a spring. Tocontrol the running forward of the gun by the spring at the end of therecoil, I use a second and independent cylinder, which acts only ormainly during the running out,-while the recoil-cylinder' acts only ormainly during recoil.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of recoil and running-out apparatusin which two cylinders are used. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a gun andmounting to which this apparatus is applied. Fig. 2X is a cross-sectionthrough the cylinder used for controlling the running out of the gun.

In Fig. l, A B are two cylinders fixed together end to end in a linewith one another. C is a piston-rod passing into both cylinders andhaving upon it a piston A for the cylinder A, and a piston B, fitting alining which is within the cylinder B. The piston-rod passes out througha stufiing-box at the end of the cylinder A, so that its end may besecured to the gun D, while the cylinders are secured to the cradle orcarriage E, within which the gun is free to slide endwise, as shown atFig. 2. Within the cylinder A the piston-rod C is surroundedby a coiledspring Z, one end of which bears against the end of the cylinder, andthe other endbears against a collar C', iixed on the rod. The cylinderisalso lled with liquid.

Through the piston A are passages A2,

which are closed by a valve F when the piston-rod is drawn outward fromthe cylinder,

but which are open when the piston is moved in the opposite direction.ton B has passages B2 through it, which are closed by a valve G when thepiston moves in one direction, but not when it moves in `theoppositedirection, and the valve G opens when F closes and closes when F opens.IVhen the gun recoils and the piston-rod 'is drawn outward, the spring Zis compressed, and liquid passes from one end of the cylinder to theother through a slot ct', formed lengthwise through a portion of theside of a thin tube A3, with which part of the cylinder A is lined. Atthe same time liquid passes from one end of the cylinder B to the otherthrough the passages formed through the piston B', as the valve G thenopens freely. At the end of the recoil and when the piston-rod is forcedback in the opposite direction bythe spring the valve G closes, andliquid has to pass from one end of the cylinder' B to the other througha slot BLl in the side of a cylindrical lining B5, which is within thecylinder B, and the springis so restrained from eiecting the running outof the gun too quickly. As the valve G closes the valve F opens, and theliquid in the cylinder A has no effect in controlling the running out.

In order to be able to vary the speed at which the gun is run out at anytime when it may be desired to do so without having to change any of theparts of the mechanism for others or without having to take the mech-`anism to pieces, I mount the lining-cylinder B5 in such a manner that itcan be turned within the cylinder B and be locked in any desiredposition. It is closed at its end, and has a spindle H extending fromthe center of the endand passing out through a stuingbox B6 at the endof the cylinder B., The outer end of the spindle H has an arm H ixedupon it, by which it can be turned, and through the end ot the arm isscrewed a screw H2, which when the spindle has been turnedintotheposition desired can be screwed inward and its end made to enter any oneor other of a number'of holes B7, formed in the end of the cylinder B,and the lining-cylinder Similarly the pis- B5 will in this way be lockedin the position desired.

Between the cylinders B and B5 is a cylinder B8,in which are a number oflongitudinal slots B9, of diierent Widths, as shown at Fig. 2X. Thiscylinder is prevented from turning within the cylinder B by a screw-pinB40, as shown in Fig. 1. lVhen the inner cylinder B5 is turned into sucha position that the slot B4 formed in it is not opposite to any of theslots B9 in the cylinder B9, the area of the passage by which liquid canpass from one end of the cylinder B to the other is the slot B4. If thecylinder is turned so that the slot B4 is opposite to any one or otherof the slots B9, then the area of the passage is increased by the areaof this slot, and as the slots B9 are of different Widths any desiredarea of passage from one end of the cylinder B to the other can beobtained.

I claiml. The combination, in apparatus for controlling the recoil andsubsequent running out of guns, of two separate independent cylinders,each having its own side passages and filled with its own supply ofliquid, and one cylinder acting only during recoil and the other onlyduring the running out of the gun, a springcontrolled piston, saidcylinders and piston being connected with the gun and the gun-mountin g,substantially as described, and means, substantially such as described,for Varying from the outside of the apparatus the area of the passage inthe cylinder which controls the running out of the gun without varyingthe resistance offered during recoil.

2. The combination, in an apparatus for controlling the recoil andsubsequent running out of a gun, of two separate and independentcylinders, each filled with its own supply of liquid, one cylinderacting only during recoil and the other only during the running out ofthe gun, spring-actuated pistons working in said cylinders, saidcylinders and pistons being connected with the gun and the gun-mounting,substantially as described, a side passage in the cylinder, whichcontrols the recoil, and an adjustable or Variable side passage,substantially such as described, in the cylinder, which controls therunning out of the gun.

3. The combination of the gun, the guncradle, the two cylinders A B,fixed end to end and to the cradle, the piston-rod C, with a piston uponit foreach cylinder and fixed to the gun, the spring Z within thecylinder A and bearing against a collar on the pistonrod, the passagefor liquid along the inside of the cylinder A, the passage for liquidalong the inside of the cylinder B, the Valve in the piston of thecylinder A to allow liquid to pass freely during the running out, thevalvein the piston of the cylinder B to allow liquid to pass freelyduring recoil, and the inner cylindrical lining B5 of the cylinder B,having a slot in it, and which can be turned so as to bring the slotopposite to any one or other of a number of slots of diiering areaformed along the interior ofthe cylinder B or along a lining B9, fixedwithin it, so that the area of the passage by which liquid can pass fromone end to the other of the cylinder l B can at anytime be adjusted.

PER NORDENFELT. Witnesses:

R. J. PRESTON, ANDRE CHRIsToYL.

